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Metalworking (rec.crafts.metalworking) Discuss various aspects of working with metal, such as machining, welding, metal joining, screwing, casting, hardening/tempering, blacksmithing/forging, spinning and hammer work, sheet metal work. |
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End Mill Selection?
gglines wrote: I'll be cutting pockets in 6061 aluminum and want to mill the bottoms as smoothly as possible to cut down on finishing steps. Any recommended end mills? The pockets will be 1" wide by 8" long by 1/4" deep. The size of the end mill is limited by the corner radius of your pockets. But, you want to use the largest end mill you can, as it will be stiffer than a thin one. The smaller end mills deflect more when cutting, and the tip of the flutes leave gouges in the bottom. A stub end mill is stiffer than a regular length of cut version. Since your pocket is only 1/4" deep, that may help. 4-flute end mills are a little stiffer than 2-flute. Solid carbide end mills are astoundingly stiffer than HSS. Coolant may be a big help. When doing a lot of metal removal in a small area, the workpiece heats up, and aluminum will make a big mess all over the cutter if it gets too hot. If you want a very smooth bottom with minimal tracks on it, you will need a VERY tight machine. Finishing the entire pocket to full dimensions except leaving a little material (.005 - .010") on the bottom, and then making a finishing pass to remove that last bit of metal may be needed to reduce the visible tracks. Jon |
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End Mill Selection?
"Jon Elson" wrote in message ... gglines wrote: I'll be cutting pockets in 6061 aluminum and want to mill the bottoms as smoothly as possible to cut down on finishing steps. Any recommended end mills? The pockets will be 1" wide by 8" long by 1/4" deep. The size of the end mill is limited by the corner radius of your pockets. But, you want to use the largest end mill you can, as it will be stiffer than a thin one. The smaller end mills deflect more when cutting, and the tip of the flutes leave gouges in the bottom. A stub end mill is stiffer than a regular length of cut version. Since your pocket is only 1/4" deep, that may help. 4-flute end mills are a little stiffer than 2-flute. Solid carbide end mills are astoundingly stiffer than HSS. Coolant may be a big help. When doing a lot of metal removal in a small area, the workpiece heats up, and aluminum will make a big mess all over the cutter if it gets too hot. If you want a very smooth bottom with minimal tracks on it, you will need a VERY tight machine. Finishing the entire pocket to full dimensions except leaving a little material (.005 - .010") on the bottom, and then making a finishing pass to remove that last bit of metal may be needed to reduce the visible tracks. Jon Yep! What Jon said, and I'd add to it to run the spindle as fast as you can. You can run a 1" end mill at 4,200 RPM in aluminum and get outstanding results. Use kerosene to lube the cut if you don't have anything else in mind. Brush applying it works great, especially in a cavity. If you have the option, when you take your finish cut, if you have to offset the table to get proper width, make sure you climb mill. That, in aluminum, leaves a wonderful finish, especially if you're lubricating the cut well. Good luck~ Harold |
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End Mill Selection?
Harold & Susan Vordos wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message ... gglines wrote: I'll be cutting pockets in 6061 aluminum and want to mill the bottoms as smoothly as possible to cut down on finishing steps. Any recommended end mills? The pockets will be 1" wide by 8" long by 1/4" deep. The size of the end mill is limited by the corner radius of your pockets. But, you want to use the largest end mill you can, as it will be stiffer than a thin one. The smaller end mills deflect more when cutting, and the tip of the flutes leave gouges in the bottom. A stub end mill is stiffer than a regular length of cut version. Since your pocket is only 1/4" deep, that may help. 4-flute end mills are a little stiffer than 2-flute. Solid carbide end mills are astoundingly stiffer than HSS. Coolant may be a big help. When doing a lot of metal removal in a small area, the workpiece heats up, and aluminum will make a big mess all over the cutter if it gets too hot. If you want a very smooth bottom with minimal tracks on it, you will need a VERY tight machine. Finishing the entire pocket to full dimensions except leaving a little material (.005 - .010") on the bottom, and then making a finishing pass to remove that last bit of metal may be needed to reduce the visible tracks. Jon Yep! What Jon said, and I'd add to it to run the spindle as fast as you can. You can run a 1" end mill at 4,200 RPM in aluminum and get outstanding results. Use kerosene to lube the cut if you don't have anything else in mind. Brush applying it works great, especially in a cavity. If you have the option, when you take your finish cut, if you have to offset the table to get proper width, make sure you climb mill. That, in aluminum, leaves a wonderful finish, especially if you're lubricating the cut well. Good luck~ Harold Good advice. Use a stone to put a slight radius on the tips of your tool. Something on the order of .005-.015, depending on size of cutter. Make sure to keep relief behind the leading edge, don't flatten it out when stoning or your tool will rub and trash your finish. Keep chips cleared away so they don't get pulled back through your cut, they have no good business in there. And kerosene is "the bomb" if you can stand the smell and getting it on you. I worked on a job in early 70s that was run with a 50/50 kero-cutting oil mix. Early tape reading NC machine with multiple fixture positions, looping cycle with no stop, had to move parts through progression while it ran, and no splashguards. I do not have any kerosene in my shop, I will use other things, thankyou. michael |
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End Mill Selection?
In article , Harold & Susan Vordos wrote:
Yep! What Jon said, and I'd add to it to run the spindle as fast as you can. I should have kept reading. Between you and Jon you covered everything that I said. If you have the option, when you take your finish cut, if you have to offset the table to get proper width, make sure you climb mill. I'm glad you put that 'if' in there, 'cause it's a doozie... I've wrecked parts by thinking I could get away with a few-thou climb mill on a bridgeport.... Sometimes it works, and sometimes... BANG!!! 8-/ -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mike Graham | Metalworker, rustic, part-time zealot. | http://www.metalmangler.com| Caledon, Ontario, Canada |
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End Mill Selection?
Mike Graham wrote in message ... In article , Harold & Susan Vordos wrote: Yep! What Jon said, and I'd add to it to run the spindle as fast as you can. I should have kept reading. Between you and Jon you covered everything that I said. If you have the option, when you take your finish cut, if you have to offset the table to get proper width, make sure you climb mill. I'm glad you put that 'if' in there, 'cause it's a doozie... I've wrecked parts by thinking I could get away with a few-thou climb mill on a bridgeport.... Sometimes it works, and sometimes... BANG!!! 8-/ Mike, could you tell us what the potential problems are when climb milling the last few thou ? Thanks Michael no xx's in address =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mike Graham | Metalworker, rustic, part-time zealot. | http://www.metalmangler.com| Caledon, Ontario, Canada |
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End Mill Selection?
On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:42:41 GMT, "Michael Cameron"
wrote: Mike, could you tell us what the potential problems are when climb milling the last few thou ? If you have five or ten thousandths of play (at the feed dial) when you reverse the lead screw and are climb milling, it means that if the cutting edge generates enough pulling forces the table will jump the five or ten thou all at once. So the chip thickness and cutting load skyrockets. To see how much free play you have, move the table with the feedscrew stopping on "0", then turn the screw the opposite direction just until the table moves and note the reading again. It is not unusual to find 20 to 50 thou or more on a perfectly useable machine. And the distance will increase and decrease as you go towards and away from the most used (worn) part of the screw. You can put a light drag on the table with the clamping screw on the feed axis to help minimize the danger of it self feeding but that also increases the feed forces and the wear on the screws. I often would take a normal, non-climb, cut and then simply stop and climb feed back to the start to clean up a cut. The loading in the cut and spring in the tool will usually give you a light cut. If you are not finishing off the material (like in a pocket) you have to be careful that you don't come back too far. Climb cutting can make an incredible difference in the surface finish and appearance. -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#7
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End Mill Selection?
In article , Michael Cameron wrote:
Mike, could you tell us what the potential problems are when climb milling the last few thou ? Jack covered the issue nicely. I once had a head crash with a 3/4" roughing endmill that resulted in the head getting tilted 10 degrees. That's a pretty serious crash. The part was junk after that. As Jack said, normally you're okay to climb mill over what you're already conventionally milled at the same setting. Normally. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Mike Graham | Metalworker, rustic, part-time zealot. | http://www.metalmangler.com| Caledon, Ontario, Canada |
#8
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End Mill Selection?
Great advice, thanks all!
George |
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